Strip stock feeding device



Sept. 26, 1950 J. HUMM, JR

STRIP STOCK FEEDING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1947 A770/7/VE) Sept. 26, 1950 Filed March 26, 1947 J. Hl JMM, JR

STRIP STOCK FEEDING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRIP STOCK FEEDING DEVICE John Humm, J r., Jamaica Estates North, N. Y.

Application March 26, 1947, Serial No. 737,349

Claims.

This invention relates to feeding devices and in particular to one used as an auxiliary to a press or other machine to'which strip stock is fed for punching or otherwise working.

An object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character referred to, a unique feeding means that does not mar the surface of the material being fed; that provides a positive feed; that automatically stops feeding when the strip stock is not being operated upon by the machine, and one that can be used with any machine that works upon strip stock.

Other objects of theinvention are to provide a feeding device that is of novel structure that does away with the necessity of providing an expensive fluted feed roller; that provides for variation in the speed of the feed of the stock with a minimum amount of manual manipulation, and one that can be moved about for use where desired and can be loaded with the stock with little effort.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain constructions hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the claims and a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the invention showing in outline the feed position of the control element and a strip holding roller,

Figure 2 is a front view of the stock feeder shown in Figure 1, illustrating the arrangement of the parts therein,

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the feeder shown in Figure 2, showing the relative arrangement of the parts,

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section taken through the drive shaft showing a modified form of feed roll,

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of the feed means shown in Figure 4, a part thereof being shown in section,- and Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a single element used in making the feed roll shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Referring to the drawing in detail, In indicates the housing of a feeder device which is mounted for movement to a point adjacent the machine to which strip stock II is to be fed for punching or the like from the roll of stock 12. The housing is mounted on the frame 13 which in turn is supported on casters I4. The housing It! is slotted in its front face as at 15 and. across the top as at I! to provide for the swinging movement of a compression roller I8 revolvably mount- 2 ed on an arm I9 which is suitably pivoted inside the housing as at 20. The outer end of the roller I8 is provided with a handle 2| through the medium of which it can be swung back and forth when the stock supply is to be replenished.

In the usual form of these stock feeding devices, a feeding roll is usually employed that has sharp teeth and mars the stock on the outer side of the roll as it is unreeled therefrom. I eliminate the marring objection by providing a feed. roller 23 that is longitudinally smooth or fluted as at 24 to provide edge teeth that engage only the inner periphery of the roll of strip material to feed the same in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1. In this manner, the stock is only marred near the inner end inside the roll and with the coactive operation of the feed roller and the compression roller the strip has a positive feed to the press or other machine in which it is used. The feed roller 23 is held on the end of a drive shaft 25 by a nut 26, the shaft being journalled in suitable bearings in the front and rear walls of the housing and carrying a drive gear 21 fixed thereto. The front and rear walls also provide a journal for the ends of a countershaft 28 which carries a drive pinion 29 and a pulley 30 both fixed to said shaft.

The shaft 25 is driven through the pulley 30 and gears 21 and 29 by a V-belt which matches the cross sectional shape of the pulley 30 and also fits about an adjustable pulley 32. The construction of the latter is well known for varying the speed of the drive and consists of two yieldably held interfitting cooperating halves which may be moved toward and away from each other to increase or decrease the speed of belt drive when the motor 33, mounted on a movable base 34, is adjusted by a handwheel connected through a support 36 with said motor base. The belt is indicated as at 31.

As the roll of stock I2 is fed, it is held in position on the feed roller 23 by two depending bars 40 fixed in an "L-shaped arm 4| which is ad-- justably fitted into a sleeve 43 extending across the top of the housing and held in said sleeve by a set wheel 44. Adjustment of said holder allows for the retention of difi'erent widths of stock rolls on the feed roller.

When the stock is being fed it assumes the outline position shown in Figure 1 and supports in raised position a switch arm 45 having a roller or spool 45A at its outer end riding on the upper surface of the strip stock. Thearm 45 is pivoted at the edge of the housing as at 46 and carries a mercury switch 41 which, when the arm is raised, maintains a circuit through line 50 and keeps the motor in operation. When the press stops and the stock is not being used, the feed thereof by the feed roll 23 will cause the stock to drop and form a lbight and allow the arm 45 to drop until the mercury switch 41 breaks the motor circuit and stops the operation of the shaft 25. When the press or machine using the stock starts again and the strip stock tautens to raise arm 45, the switch again completes the circuit to operate the shaft 25. Thus my improved feed device is automatic in operation, does not mar the strip stock and provides a positive feed therefor.

In order that expensive fluting and tempering of a feed roller may be dispensed with, I may make a feed roller out of blanks of material 52, which have a center hole 53, the inner periphery of which is cut or formed to provide three semicircular notches 54, 55 and 56 each of which in successive blanks 52 engages a spline rod 51 which keys the members 52 in driving connection with the shaft 25A. The spline rod seats in a suitable trough or keyw-ay 58 out in said shaft. Both the forms of feed roller are held in place on the'drive shaft by the nut 26. By successively engaging the'notohes with the spline 51, succeeding blanks form projecting points 60 annularly about the circumference thereof, three blanks presenting twelve points that dig into the inner periphery of the roll of stock and feed it effectively from the feeding device to the machine in which it is to be used. It is evident that the pressure roller can be dispensed with as the weight of the stock is sufficient to afford rotation.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise details of construction shown since various changes and modifications therein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing the advantages to be derived from. its use.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for feeding strip material from a coil thereof to a machine, a drive shaft, a drive roller on said shaft, said drive roller being adapted for engagement with the inner periphery of said coil to revolve the latter and uncoil the material, apressure roller for applying pressure to the exterior of the coil to press the same against said drive roller, means for operating said shaft including a motor and motor circuit, a switch in said circuit, and a switch control arm in engagement with the uncoiled material to make and break the circuit in accordance with the feed of the material. I

.2. In a device for feeding strip material from a coil thereof to a machine, a housing, a drive shaft protruding from said housing, a drive roller on the protruding end of said shaft, said drive roller presenting sharp edges for engagement with a center opening in the coil to revolve the latter and uncoil the material, means for operating said shaft including a motor and a motor circuit,

means for holding the coil on said drive roller including an adjustable arm means mounted on said housing and overhanging said coil, and bar means depending from said arm means for engagement with the side edge of said coil, and switch control means engaging the uncoiled material to make and break the circuit in accordance with the feed or stop positions occupied by the uncoiled material.

3. In a device for unwinding a coil of material, a drive shaft, a feed roller on said shaft upon which the coil rests for rotary movement with the roller to unwind the material, the roller comprising a series of rectangular discs mounted in contacting fiat relation on the shaft, the discs being sequentially advanced in rotary direction to provide longitudinally unaligned points for feeding engagement with the inner periphery of said coil, and means for joining the discs and the shaft for unitary rotary motion.

4. In a device for unwinding a coil of material, a drive shaft having a keyway, a spline key in said keyway, a feed roll means on said shaft upon which the coil of material rests for rotary movement with the roll means, said roll means com prising a series of fiat discs each presenting a plurality of sharp corners, said discs being mounted. in contacting fiat relation along a portion of the shaft, each of said discs having a central opening and a plurality of key seats to provide spaced key engaging means for holding the sharp corners of the discs in relatively spaced, annular relation with each other and for joining the discs and the shaft for unitary rotation whereby said corners engage the coil in an inner periphery thereof to rotate the same and unwind the material.

5. A feed roller forming device comprising a disc having rectilinear peripherally extending edge portions presenting corners and having a central opening presenting a plurality of spaced key engaging notches said notches being arranged for seriatim engagement with a shaft key when a plurality of discs are mounted on a shaft in flat contacting series to space the corners of the discs sequentially in rotary direction and thereby provide a plurality of feed teeth on the surface of the roller so formed.

JOHN HUMM, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Ungar n- May 16,1944 

